Eye Opener: Preservation

South Asian exploration inspires a new belief in humans

‘I’ve been travelling through South America and Asia since I was twelve, so for me travelling is the essence of my life and work’, filmmaker Rafael Calleja told us. Rafael used the experiences and views of the trip, which he made with his girlfriend Sophie around South Asia, as the basis for his video, Preservation.

Rafael and Sophie mostly travelled through South Burma and the Philippines. ‘After being there for some weeks and meeting such amazing communities, I had the feeling that in our western societies we all should really open our eyes and see that the way we are consuming and producing isn’t working anymore. It was kind of a metaphor’.

Rafael told us more about Preservation:
The Plus: What was the most memorable moment of the trip?
Rafael Calleja: The interaction we had with the small fishing communities was one of the most memorable things we experienced. We only had gestural communication, but they were so kind. These moments really made me believe in human beings as a species.

TP: How do trips like these influence you personally and in your work?
RC: All the experiences you live and people you meet enrich your work, but I have never thought: “Oh now I have to travel to get inspired”. I understand travel as a part of my life, having as many varied experiences and knowing as many parts of the world as possible. It’s just that I feel comfortable everywhere I go and love the variety of human beings that live on this planet.

TP: The title of the video is Preservation, could you explain why?
RC: The idea of preservation and awareness are concepts I really want to keep on exploring. This video was kind of a teaser for a longer project, which is starting to develop in my mind.

TP: What other countries would you like to visit and make a video of?
RC: I would love to do a project in any other part of the world and even Space. Well, I guess that would be even more interesting!